Well said Tim. Memorisation is useless these days - information changes way too quickly. You need to be able to find information quickly so I would add research skills to your list.
Bravo, Tim. There are many reasons I continue to read your words, but I think the most important is this: You tell it straight. And that's both refreshing and uncommon in our fake-nice world.
The last sentence under Point #2 made me smile the most. Insert 'choice' for 'decision' and it's something I've said for decades. Everything is a choice - not making one is still a choice. :)
Have a fabulous weekend. I'm in a maelstrom of change - determining how to write consistently to get my points across to those who follow me and to attract more readers. Being authentic is key. Thanks for that.
This is so funny, relatable, and informative. You had me in stitches with "Even a simple spreadsheet caused a meltdown." And several others. 😃 If l could provide a tiny fraction of the humongous value you provide as an online writer, with my own writing, l'd be very happy indeed. Thank you, Timothy Denning. 😊
I'm currently studying for an exam that will add High School English/Language Arts/Reading to my Elementary K-8 certification. I'm using a guide book with everything I'll have to REMEMBER to ace the exam with 100 questions and 2 essays, which are basically interpretation of a student's answer plus an assignment to take care of deficiencies (don't you love the way I can type educational sentence structure?), and the second will be a literary criticism of TWO pieces of literature, using every jargon term possible.
Will I have access to the definitions of terms like pedagogy, prosody, schemas, register, metacognition/metaphysical poetry, qualitative measures, quantitative measures, and text leveling (to name a FEW)? No. I have to memorize them (all of them--close to 100) and be able to use them intelligently in my literary criticism.
Will knowing the jargon make me a better teacher? No.
Will I use those terms in class, teaching HS kids who will dare me every day to say something they'll be willing to listen to and possibly discuss in class? No.
Or will I do everything in the DEFINITIONS of those terms and work all those skills and different ways to teach (that's the definition of pedagogy, by the way--different ways...) that will light a fire under them and make them look forward to whatever Mrs. G comes up with in class?
YES!
I agree completely that memorization is practically useless when it comes to facts, dates, terms, and other minutia that has nothing to do with the job at hand.
Knowing how to ignite excitement in teenagers for a poem called "Buffalo Bill's Defunct" by e. e. cummings is invaluable, along with "There is no single correct interpretation of a text." Take THAT, Mrs. Laughed at my interpretation of that poem and said it was WRONG.
I have actually experienced this some in my young career. This isn't an exact parallel, but I distinctly remember a supervisor telling me that "I can write a code that follows directions, what I really need from you is critical thinking and problem solving." This headline reminded me of that.
I do like that you also focus on "soft" skills and avoid getting overly technical and simple (i.e. become an Excel wiz and it will solve all of your problems).
This was a really interesting piece, Tim. Your curation advice is intriguing. I want to be one of those smart people. *grin* Where can I find out more?
Spot on! Great lesson in what really matters. Plus you quoted two mentors of mine... Godin and Ferris. Interactions over memorization for success in today's role as a leader.
Hi, Tim, this article was worth getting up a little early for. I already excel in six of these nine areas. But I need to work on fast(er) decisions, curating a personal database and saving other people's time.
I can recommend a book for people trying to become more self aware: it is Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies. The tendencies are defined on how you respond to expectations and demands put on you. People's strongest tendencies are Questioners, Upholders, Obligers or Rebels. Each person of course has a combination of these tendencies, for example I am about 80% Questioner, 15% Upholder and 5% Rebel. I am not an "obliging" person at any time just for the sake of "going along."
I discovered I am a Questioner, which is a great thing to be at the start of a new job, but as you continue to ask questions once you "know" the job, your bosses get more and more ticked off. I only keep asking questions because I am trying to do the job better and make my work more effective. That way I benefit everyone I work with, and the "customer" too, whoever they might be. Once I learned this about myself, I figured out why I can usually only last about a year in any job. By the time I leave (or my contract finishes whichever comes first), my bosses are ready to strangle me. But the funny thing is, they miss me when I'm gone. I brought important stuff to their attention that they had no time to notice.
Even as my own boss, I keep asking questions. My boss doesn't mind at all!
Well said Tim. Memorisation is useless these days - information changes way too quickly. You need to be able to find information quickly so I would add research skills to your list.
Bravo, Tim. There are many reasons I continue to read your words, but I think the most important is this: You tell it straight. And that's both refreshing and uncommon in our fake-nice world.
The last sentence under Point #2 made me smile the most. Insert 'choice' for 'decision' and it's something I've said for decades. Everything is a choice - not making one is still a choice. :)
Have a fabulous weekend. I'm in a maelstrom of change - determining how to write consistently to get my points across to those who follow me and to attract more readers. Being authentic is key. Thanks for that.
This is so funny, relatable, and informative. You had me in stitches with "Even a simple spreadsheet caused a meltdown." And several others. 😃 If l could provide a tiny fraction of the humongous value you provide as an online writer, with my own writing, l'd be very happy indeed. Thank you, Timothy Denning. 😊
I'm currently studying for an exam that will add High School English/Language Arts/Reading to my Elementary K-8 certification. I'm using a guide book with everything I'll have to REMEMBER to ace the exam with 100 questions and 2 essays, which are basically interpretation of a student's answer plus an assignment to take care of deficiencies (don't you love the way I can type educational sentence structure?), and the second will be a literary criticism of TWO pieces of literature, using every jargon term possible.
Will I have access to the definitions of terms like pedagogy, prosody, schemas, register, metacognition/metaphysical poetry, qualitative measures, quantitative measures, and text leveling (to name a FEW)? No. I have to memorize them (all of them--close to 100) and be able to use them intelligently in my literary criticism.
Will knowing the jargon make me a better teacher? No.
Will I use those terms in class, teaching HS kids who will dare me every day to say something they'll be willing to listen to and possibly discuss in class? No.
Or will I do everything in the DEFINITIONS of those terms and work all those skills and different ways to teach (that's the definition of pedagogy, by the way--different ways...) that will light a fire under them and make them look forward to whatever Mrs. G comes up with in class?
YES!
I agree completely that memorization is practically useless when it comes to facts, dates, terms, and other minutia that has nothing to do with the job at hand.
Knowing how to ignite excitement in teenagers for a poem called "Buffalo Bill's Defunct" by e. e. cummings is invaluable, along with "There is no single correct interpretation of a text." Take THAT, Mrs. Laughed at my interpretation of that poem and said it was WRONG.
Keep telling the truth, Tim.
Best always,
Linda
I really like your work and your story.
I have actually experienced this some in my young career. This isn't an exact parallel, but I distinctly remember a supervisor telling me that "I can write a code that follows directions, what I really need from you is critical thinking and problem solving." This headline reminded me of that.
I do like that you also focus on "soft" skills and avoid getting overly technical and simple (i.e. become an Excel wiz and it will solve all of your problems).
It was really good
This was a really interesting piece, Tim. Your curation advice is intriguing. I want to be one of those smart people. *grin* Where can I find out more?
Spot on! Great lesson in what really matters. Plus you quoted two mentors of mine... Godin and Ferris. Interactions over memorization for success in today's role as a leader.
Keep it up.
Great, Tim.
I read something about How to Unlearn so we can learn new things and adapt fast. I think this is also a skill for smart people.
Hi, Tim, this article was worth getting up a little early for. I already excel in six of these nine areas. But I need to work on fast(er) decisions, curating a personal database and saving other people's time.
I can recommend a book for people trying to become more self aware: it is Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies. The tendencies are defined on how you respond to expectations and demands put on you. People's strongest tendencies are Questioners, Upholders, Obligers or Rebels. Each person of course has a combination of these tendencies, for example I am about 80% Questioner, 15% Upholder and 5% Rebel. I am not an "obliging" person at any time just for the sake of "going along."
I discovered I am a Questioner, which is a great thing to be at the start of a new job, but as you continue to ask questions once you "know" the job, your bosses get more and more ticked off. I only keep asking questions because I am trying to do the job better and make my work more effective. That way I benefit everyone I work with, and the "customer" too, whoever they might be. Once I learned this about myself, I figured out why I can usually only last about a year in any job. By the time I leave (or my contract finishes whichever comes first), my bosses are ready to strangle me. But the funny thing is, they miss me when I'm gone. I brought important stuff to their attention that they had no time to notice.
Even as my own boss, I keep asking questions. My boss doesn't mind at all!
Many thanks! Have a great day.
Well done Tim. Always enjoy and take on board Ciao